


A glowing new friendship

by KittyKarnstein96



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Gert and Chase is mentioned too it's brief but ir's there, Gert needs all the hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Nico is only seen like once but still she says something so she's getting tagged, You can pry this brotp from my cold dead hands, anxiety mention, brotp: Rainbow Raptor, softness because they all deserve softness, what is tagging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 14:03:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13366242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyKarnstein96/pseuds/KittyKarnstein96
Summary: "Did you really use a Disney quote to get me to talk to you?!"She sniggers as Karolina shrugs with a laugh. "It worked didn't it?"~Gert gets overwhelmed and surprisingly it's Karolina who comes to her rescue. BECAUSE THEY SHOULD ALWAYS BE BESTIES AND I'M TIRED.





	A glowing new friendship

**Author's Note:**

> Once again it was a drabble and then I decided to add more to it so voila. I'm still trying to get used to writing for their characters so I hope you like it! Let me know :)
> 
> My beta Ezra is the effing best!

They had stopped running but Gert’s mind wouldn’t stop, couldn’t stop; so many thoughts racing around her head.

 

Her clothes needed washing, she needed to take her jacket off but would that look weird? Why did they think it would be a good idea to run away?

 

Why didn’t Gert think to grab her meds? Why didn’t she think to bring more clothes or food? Why, why, why? The thoughts kept chasing themselves around her head.

 

She can hear the others talking. She can’t figure out who is talking. What are they talking about? She thinks Molly looked her way or maybe it was Chase. Gert knows his eyes keep drifting to her, she knows she has to speak to him eventually, but what would she say? How could she engage in conversation after what had happened between them? She wanted to talk to him, tell him she regrets saying it was a “one time thing” - why did she say that?

 

Her hands are shaking and maybe they can tell. Maybe the others can see how her hands tremble as she shoves them into her pocket. She needs to get away from it all, but if she does that then they’ll know something is up. She can’t-

 

She can’t deal with their chatter, their looks. Why are they looking at her? Can they tell she’s close to breaking? She hadn’t given any signs, had she accidentally spoken aloud? No that couldn’t be possible- could that be possible?

 

Her eyes dart back and forth, trying to focus on something, anything other than the racing of her heart and the tightness of her chest. Gert can’t hear their voices anymore, the wind gushes around her and she isn’t sure when it got so loud. It is too loud. Everything is too loud. Too much.

 

Someone is calling her name. She thinks it may be Nico but she can’t be sure, not when there’s ringing in her ears and pounding in her head. She feels her heart stumbling over its own rhythm as her chest grows tighter. Should it be this hard to breathe? Why can’t she get it under control? Her heart pounding too hard, it feels like it might burst through her chest.

 

She misses her home, she misses feeling like she belongs, feeling safe. But her parents- their parents are, she doesn’t even know what they are, why they’re doing this to them. She doesn’t know if they’ll be okay, she doesn’t know how long they’ll last out here. Why didn’t she remember to bring her medication? She should have brought it, she should have done but she didn’t and now- now the pain is, it’s too much, too hard.

 

Gert can feel the tears spilling before she can stop them, when did her eyes start hurting? When will it stop hurting?

 

She can’t do this. She can’t be here.

 

_They can never go home._

 

She can’t-

 

_They’re never going to be free._

 

Why won’t it stop?

 

_No one cares._

 

Why can’t she stop crying? Stop crying, she needs to stop crying.

 

Her shoulders are tense and she feels paralysed, she knows she needs to move, she knows she needs to get away. She _has_ to get away.

 

She can’t-

 

"Shit, hey Gert, look at me! What's wrong?" Nico’s voice is laced with concern but it sounds so distant that Gert can’t think of a way to respond.

 

Gert can sense the touch before she feels it, the feather light touch on her shoulder that suddenly feels like a weight holding her down. She reacts on instinct, hastily batting the offending hand away with much more force than she intended, startling to her feet. 5 pairs of eyes stare back at her, equally concerned. Gert glances down to see the previously sleeping Old Lace looking up at her too, she offers the dinosaur a weak smile, trying to translate what she needs and of course Old Lace knows, her tail nudging Gert just enough for her to move. She starts to back away, unable to face all of their disappointed eyes. Is that pity she sees? Maybe it’s concern or anger. Yes, they are probably angry at her. She’s messed up again. The tears are falling harder and faster now and she’s stumbling. Someone tries to steady her - she can’t see who but she doesn’t care, she moves quicker, flinching away from the touch - and then she’s running.

 

She can hear the others calling her name, but all she can do is run. Running until their voices melt into the distance and only the sound of the wind whistling through the trees remains. When Gert finally stops she can feel the tree trunk against her back. She sinks down and lets herself fall, her head buried in her hands, her eyes scrunched tightly shut as she lets her emotions take over.

 

* * *

 

 

Gert isn’t sure how much time has passed, how long she’s been sitting with her back pressed against the tree, listening to leaves rustling, or how she managed to stop crying. When she opens her eyes she spots Karolina leaning against the tree opposite. Gert stares blankly at her, unsure of just how long Karolina had been there. Apparently her silent stare was enough permission for Karolina, who crossed the space, sinking down to sit beside her. Gert doesn’t know what to say so she looks away, hoping the tears don’t return - not in front of Karolina. She can feel her anxiety creeping back up, her leg bouncing as she tries to regain some control. Maybe if she stays silent Karolina will think she’s okay and leave.  

 

"Gert? Are you okay?" Karolina asks.

  
  
Or maybe not. God, even her voice is angelic and the softness only serves to rile Gert up more.

  
  
"What? Yeah- yeah I'm fine." the words come out snappier than she intends but somehow it doesn't change Karolina's mood, she doesn't even flinch - she continues to smile and moves just a little bit closer.

  
  
"o-kay. Well if you want to talk about anything, I'm here, okay?" She lightly touches Gert's shoulder, smiling in a reassuring way that Gert isn't sure she'll ever be used to.

  
  
"Why are you being nice to me?" Gert's voice is small and she can't keep the vulnerability from seeping through, though not for a lack of trying.

  
  
As soon as the words leave her Gert regrets them, shifting her glasses nervously as Karolina's face shifts - her eyes widen in surprise and when she gives Gert a small, sad smile it takes everything she has not to get up and leave.

  
  
"I- sorry. Just ignore me, I'm not- it's fine. I'm acting like an idiot." Gert tries to explain, her hands moving in awkward motions as she rambles, looking away before Karolina has the chance to make fun of her.

  
  
"You're not an idiot."

  
  
Gert laughs, the sound harsh and foreign as it barks out of her. She clamps her hand over her mouth as Karolina gives her a look, a look that tells Gert she couldn't be more wrong, but she doesn't get it. She doesn’t understand how Karolina can be sat with her acting as though she isn't an grade A asshole. Like she isn't someone they could easily leave behind and stop worrying about.

  
  
Karolina's voice interrupts her before she can spiral further.

  
  
"How could you think we'd leave you behind Gert?!"

  
  
Crap. So she had said that out loud. As if the feeling of wanting the ground to swallow her up wasn't strong enough. She’s upset Karolina now and Gert can’t think, can’t focus on the warmth radiating from her, not when she’s just messed up again and Karolina is talking. She’s saying something and Gert has to focus.

  
  
"-we're friends, all of us. You said we were a family and we may not always get along but that doesn't mean we don't want you around. Ohana remember? No one gets left behind."

  
  
Gert looks up, seeing nothing but sincerity in Karolina's eyes. It's hard to believe and as soon as Gert goes to say something, to protest in some way, Karolina is continuing.

  
  
"Don't argue with me, Yorkes." Karolina points her finger in an accusatory way, though the slight twitch of her lips assures Gert she isn't being malicious.

 

The twinkle of mischief in Karolina’s eye is replaced with something softer, something Gert can’t recognise. Karolina’s tone held so much understanding and empathy that Gert isn’t really sure how to deal with it.

  
  
"Look, I'm not going to pretend like I know how you must be feeling, but I want you to know that I'm here for you, we all are."

  
  
"I don't get it, I was awful to you." Gert responds.

  
  
"Yeah well, I wasn't exactly innocent. I could have been more understanding or sympathetic."  Karolina fires back.

  
They're silent for another minute and then Karolina is filling the gap, her bright smile forming once again.

  
  
"Maybe we could give being friends a shot? I think you'd be great at it." Karolina suggests, bumping Gert's shoulder playfully.

  
  
"Yeah, I doubt that," Gert says, her usual layer of snark returning, she sighs and then, "but uh I think I'd like that, us being friends."

  
  
Karolina beams and Gert can't help but smile back, feeling, not for the first time, grateful that Karolina chose to reach out to her -chose to stick around.

  
  
They walk back towards the others in a comfortable silence until Gert remembers something. A smug smirk appears as she turns to Karolina.

  
  
"Did you really use a Disney quote to get me to talk to you?!"

  
  
She sniggers as Karolina shrugs with a laugh. "It worked didn't it?"

  
  
The others aren't quite sure why Gert and Karolina are laughing together, but everyone seems pleased by the turn of events.

 

Later when they're sat around a campfire reminiscing about life before it got so messy, they close their eyes, listening to the sound of Gert's voice singing Disney songs and for the first time in days she's actually smiling.


End file.
